So lets get things going with a little recruitment pitch for some coaches. Ever year we have a need to recruit volunteer coaches to help make all of our programs run. Some of our coaches are keen soccer people, who can’t wait to get on the grass each spring and work with their chosen group of players, while others are community members who give their time simply to make sure organizations like ours have the number of volunteers needed to run our programs. It really doesn’t matter which of the two categories you fall into there are 5 things that I think every coach gets out of a summer coaching soccer.
- Personal Growth: If you have never coached before or are a returning coach there is always learning to be done. Coaching with our programs gives you the opportunity to attend some free coaching clinics, and then try and put those ideas into practice over the summer. It is fun and rewarding to see your coaching and comfort with the young players improve over the course of the summer. It is what keeps many of our coaches coming back year after year.
- Quality Time: This is an excellent for you to schedule some time aside each week to spend some quality time with your son daughter, your niece or nephew or even a grandchild. In a busy world with families pulled in all directions, this is a great way to have some scheduled time where you can look forward to some consistent and reliable family time. You will even be surprised with how much you look forward to spending time with the whole team.
- Teamwork: As a coach you will have the opportunity to build a team. You will be teaching young people about winning and losing, sportsmanship and teamwork. You will also gain valuable experience understanding how teams work, and how you can be a positive influence on any team you are involved in from your recreational sports team, to your family team at home, and even your work team at the office.
- Self-Esteem: We all know how important self-esteem is for young people, and you can be part of building that. Self-esteem comes from learning new skills, being challenged, and overcoming those challenges. As a coach you get to help guide players in these learning experiences during every practice. The smiles at the end of each soccer practice will tell you all you need to know about the esteem you are helping to build.
- Thanks Coach: We all coach for many reasons and at any level those reasons may be different, but there is 1 thing that EVERY coach enjoys. That is when a player or parent takes the time to say “Thanks Coach”. It could even be an old player who you haven’t coaches in several years, and you will be surprised how many of those players actually remember you. They will come up to you at some point in your future and thank you for coaching you may have done years before, and it will bring a smile to your face. Trust me it is true.
These 5 reasons are just the tip of the iceberg, but as you speak to other coaches you will find that several of these 5 reasons come up in some way or another. Even if they aren’t the 5 that the coach identified as they explain their 5 they will use these words.
Thanks for reading check back again soon.
Coach Barry